2018 Tennessee Titans Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Tennessee Titans are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2008 after going 9-7 to earn one of the AFC's wild-card berths last season.  

After their second straight winning season—they also went 9-7 in 2016—they went on to open the playoffs with a road victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. The run came to an end with a blowout loss to the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots in the divisional round.

Now the question is whether the Titans can continue their trend of success. If they do, it will come under the guidance of a new head coach as Mike Vrabel takes over the position after the franchise and Mike Mularkey mutually agreed to part ways.

So let's check out Tennessee's entire slate for next season following its Thursday release, per NFL.com. That's followed by a closer look at the team's outlook.

Titans' 2018 Schedule

Week 1: at Miami Dolphins on Sept. 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 2: vs. Houston Texans on Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 23 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 4: vs. Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 30 at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 5: at Buffalo Bills on Oct. 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 14 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 7: at Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 21 at 9:30 a.m. ET on CBS

Week 8: Bye Week

Week 9: at Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 10: vs. New England Patriots on Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 11: at Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 12: at Houston Texans on Nov. 26 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 13: vs. New York Jets on Dec. 2 at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 14: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 6 at 8:20 p.m. ET on FOX/NFL Network

Week 15: at New York Giants on Dec. 16 on 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 16: vs. Washington Redskins on Dec. 23 on 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 17: vs. Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 30 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Analysis

Although the Titans didn't make a ton of moves in free agency, they did add a couple of assets from the team that knocked them out of the playoffs. They signed running back Dion Lewis and cornerback Malcolm Butler from the Pats.

The Butler addition should be the more impactful. Tennessee ranked 13th in total defense last season despite allowing the eighth-most passing yards per game. A corner with experience guarding an opponent's top target could help the unit crack the top 10.

Offensively, the key will be getting more out of the passing attack.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota and Co. averaged less than 200 yards per game through the air last season. While that clearly didn't prevent the team from contending for the postseason, it does limit the upside in terms of trying to compete for championships.

Lewis should help as a proven weapon out of the backfield. Beyond that, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Titans utilize an early draft pick on a wide receiver to compete with Corey Davis and Rishard Matthews for a starting job. They need more big-play ability at the position.

All told, the foundation is in place. Now the Titans must try to take the next step against a schedule that leaves the door open for a double-digit win campaign.

Pivotal Matchups

The AFC South once again feels like a crapshoot. The Jacksonville Jaguars are far from a lock to repeat their 10-6 season, while the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are each capable of strong bounce-back years depending on the health of quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Andrew Luck, respectively.

So those six divisional games will play a critical role in the Titans' fate, as always.

Tennessee also has home games with the Patriots and reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles. So the most crucial contests outside of the division clashes could be the other three home contests against the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Washington Redskins.

If the Titans can sweep those games and go at least 4-2 in the AFC South, there should be enough wins left on the schedule to make another trip to the postseason.